Emefiele’s Trial: Witness Admits No Record, Communication of Alleged $400,000 Payment

Wale Igbintade

The seventh prosecution witness, John Adetola, in the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, yesterday told Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja that he did not document the alleged $400,000 he claimed to have handed over to the first defendant, Emefiele.

Adetola also admitted that he did not present any WhatsApp chat or telephone conversation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where he informed Emefiele about collecting the $400,000 on his behalf.

Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged $4.5 billion, and N2.8 billion fraud.

Adetola, an executive assistant to the former CBN Governor, had previously testified that he delivered $400,000 to Emefiele.

 He narrated that in 2018, Mr. Eric Odoh sent him a WhatsApp message instructing him to collect the sum from John Ayoh and hand it over to Emefiele when he arrived in Lagos.

His words: “In 2018, I can’t remember the date, Mr. Eric Odoh sent me a message on WhatsApp that I should go and collect the sum of $400,000 from John Ayoh and give it to the former CBN Governor when he came to Lagos. I went to the house of John Ayoh at Lekki in Lagos. He gave me an envelope, and I came back to the office and gave it to the former CBN Governor.”

However, under cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo SAN, Adetola admitted that he did not keep any record of the alleged $400,000 receipt.

When asked if he was being prosecuted for his involvement in the alleged transaction, he replied no.

He also confirmed that in his extrajudicial statement made while in EFCC custody, he did not mention any WhatsApp or telephone conversation with Emefiele regarding the $400,000.

Adetola denied any agreement with the EFCC to testify against Emefiele in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

He added that the EFCC confronted him with WhatsApp printouts relating to the alleged money.

Earlier in his testimony, Adetola told the court that he holds a Higher National Diploma in Secretarial Studies and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management.

He explained that, as an executive assistant to the former CBN Governor, he managed the secretariat and handled correspondences sent to the Governor’s office.

Asked to name his direct boss, Adetola said: “My direct boss is the 1st defendant. The 1st defendant is the head of the secretariat, and I report directly to him.”

He also revealed that he was in EFCC custody for 11 days, during which he was questioned about the alleged financial crimes involving the defendants.

 “I told the EFCC everything I knew in respect of the alleged financial crimes,” he said.

Adetola further told the court that the EFCC never brought him face-to-face with either the first defendant or John Ayoh regarding the $400,000 transaction.

Under cross-examination by Mr. Yinka Kotoye (SAN), counsel to the second defendant, Adetola confirmed he had no dealings with the second defendant in relation to his testimony.

During re-examination by EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), when asked why he did not document the $400,000 he allegedly collected on Emefiele’s behalf, Adetola responded: “I did not see any need for it.”

At that stage, Justice Oshodi discharged the witness and adjourned the matter until today (Tuesday) for the continuation of trial.